Chattanooga: Man accused of setting fire at grandparents' house

Chattanooga: Man accused of setting fire at grandparents' house

A man has been arrested and charged with starting a fire behind his grandparents' house in East Lake, according to the Chattanooga Fire Department.

Christopher Swafford, 28, has been charged with arson, according to department spokesman Bruce Garner.

When the Chattanooga Fire Department arrived at the home at 3710 Fourth Ave. about 10:30 p.m. Monday, a shed behind the house was fully engulfed in flames and the fire was spreading towards the house, said Garner.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze before it reached the home's interior and no injuries were reported, he said.

Witnesses told firefighters they saw a man leaving the scene shortly after the fire started, and police apprehended Swafford walking down the street two blocks away, Garner said.